A Thousand Words
by transcendingrids
Summary: The Signless and the Disciple meet at a young age and bond over sweeps.
1. Chapter 1

"Dolorosa?"

The young troll's voice was laced with curiosity as his amber eyes pointedly gazed up into the dense tree. Its leaves intertwined, creating a heavy barrier between outsiders and the objects (or living creatures, for that matter) that inhabited it. Although it should have been extremely difficult for the oddly blooded child to spot the young girl within its verdant _façade_. Nonetheless, he effortlessly spotted her ebony and olive outfit and golden orbs as she shifted against the thin branches.

"… Dolorosa? I think there's someone in that tree!" Nibbling on his lower lip, he listening to the tranquil rustling of the leaves with squinted eyes. The fabric of his guardian's clothes billowed out behind her in opaque sheets, wrapping around her before retaining their original position.

"Don't be silly, honey. No one's up there," she mused, placing a delicate hand on his shoulder as she scanned the limbs of the tree. A frown found its way across her face as she turned to him and shook her head. It wasn't always safe to be around, especially with the child's blood mutation. She detested risking his life, but she felt guilty, confining him so near to their dwelling. It was nice to stretch her limbs and hear the beats and their various noises, after all.

Albeit a wave of confusion washed over the later-to-be Signless's face, he simply crossed his arms and did not argue. There was still an odd feeling within him, like someone was gazing down at him. The Dolorosa's grimace slowly morphed into a smile, and she wholeheartedly tousled his jet black hair with maternal affection.

"Let us go back to the hive, shall we?" she eventually suggested, although her jade tinted irises were still transfixed on the tree as the leaves moved fraction by fraction. Blinking as the Signless nodded, he smiled and spun on his heels, the Dolorosa's long strides allowing her to quickly surpass him.

As the child tromped along, his dark shoes mingling in with the emerald grasses of their land, he could have sworn he heard a feminine 'heehee' from the rough oak he had previously been looking at. Squinting, he paused and turned around, his jaws agape as his pointed ivory teeth contrasting against his creamy gray complexion.

"Hi," he greeted in a hushed tone, just loud enough so that the person in the tree was able to here him. Spotting two yellow eyes and later a flicker of white that must have been a lusus, he listened to a sweet and high pitched voice as it wafted through the breeze towards his ear drums.

"Hi there."


	2. Chapter 2

The sun had risen early in the morning, tinting the sky all shades of orange, pink, and yellow. Clouds drifted past from time to time, shielding the verdant valley from its oppressive light. The young girl certainly thought it was beautiful as she looked onward from her cave, amber eyes alight with glee and curiosity. Albeit she promptly woke up every morning to see it make an appearance, she relished the sight of the sunrise each day.

"Pounce! Pounce, where did you go?" Meulin purred, searching for her elusive guardian. At only three sweeps, he happened to be the only company she had ever had. That was, until she'd seen those two trolls wandering by the tree she often played in. One of them was a young boy, the other one… older. It was almost as if the older female troll had been looking after the boy, almost like a lusus would. But that was silly; trolls didn't have mothers! She wasn't even aware that there was such a word. Even so, she was hoping she would get to see them again. It was so rare that she got to see her own kind. Actually, she couldn't recall another occasion where she had seen Alternian trolls. Furrowing her brows and leaning against the windowsill that had been carefully cut out from within the stone, she hopped off and proceeded searching her hive with a small giggle.

"Come on, silly! I know you're there." Letting out a small sound that sounded extremely similar to that of a cat's meow, she sulked about the house in search of Pounce de Leon, her trusty parental figure. She heard a rustle from her the far underground, and carefully trailed down the stairs they had configured together out of mud after she had blossomed from a tiny grub into a young girl.

Watching a familiar alabaster figure trickle out from the shadows, she sauntered over and patted its head lightly, sitting beside it and leniently hugging it close to her.

"Pounce, can I purrleaaaase go out and hunt?" Looking up at him, the three-sweep-old troll put a pleading expression on her face. Albeit she was still very young, her lusus had taught her how to hunt wild beasts for food at a young age. Meulin had become a carnivore after all the meat, and tended to grow ill whenever she ate vegetables.

There were two reasons she wanted to leave their dwelling. One was to see the trolls she had spotted earlier that week, but the other was legitimate: they were all out of food. Both curiosity and survival instincts mingling together within her, she let out a yelp of happiness as Pounce agreed.

She ran out of the cave and tripping over her feet, a glimmer of interest and dismay shown in her golden eyes. It was beginning to drizzle, meaning that the hoofbeasts, meowbeasts, woofbeasts, and all of the other animals she liked to visit on her journey out into the forest would be hiding. It would be harder to find something to prey on, as well.

"Awww." The troll, in her small, rustic black and olive dress sighed, chin drooping so that her eyes met the Leo sign that curled around her chest. Turning to Pounce de Leon, she gave him a look, laced with hope and eagerness. He'd never let her go out hunting while it was raining before, but maybe today would be different. The humidity almost made made her want to go outside and bathe in the moisture.

"I can still go out, can't I, Pounce?" she questioned, letting out a sweet, catlike noise from her through as she listened to his near silent assent.

"Ohh, thank you! Heehee, this is going to be so much fun! I'll see you befur dinner, okay?" Finally clearing out of her hivecave, she allowed herself to twirl and dance around in the cool spring air. She had a job to do, but she was sure it could wait. After all, today was special. It was raining, and albeit she did not care to admit it, a single drop of it had never touched her.

Yet, here she was, practically bathing in the dewy, cold matter! Opening her mouth to taste some, she swallowed and dashed through the moist grass, kicking up water with her furry black boots. Freedom certainly was nice, and she knew how her lusus felt about her being out an about, especially with the highbloods and their nasty ruler with her nasty culling fork! From time to time, she enjoyed pretending that she slayed highbloods for a living, protecting the lower class citizens from their villainous and dangerous hands.

"Take that, you evil, monstrous… er… purrson!" She had never been particularly good with words, unlike other trolls she had heard about in stories. Those who gave religious sermons, maidens who created songs and sang them out the window in hopes that someone would hear her from the hive. She was much better at listening and observing, so she had taken to copying these tales that her lusus had given her in a book.

She didn't remember exactly how she had come in possession of it. Shortly after she had gone from a wriggler into two-legged being, she'd been out at night with Pounce and had come across it. It had a leather cover, embroided in faux gold designs, thick, with pages frayed at the edges. Having been compelled to pick it up, Meulin had sat in the grass for awhile, the drizzle ceasing as she flipped languidly through its pages, not truly understanding the meaning of what it was.

But half a sweep later, she'd killed wingbeasts and began to write in their blood, using their feathers as quills. At times she would draw, as well. These actions were more calming than practical.

As soon as the rain had stopped pouring down from the heavens, the oliveblooded female lay in the grass, clearly defeated as she finally reconciled with the fact that most of her energy had now faded.

"You win this time, highbloods," she whispered, voice coming out in mock strain and rage, "but next time we shall ofurcome!" Pretending to die right there and then with a choking noise, her body was limp. The sound of crunching frost against dry grass ensued.

Could these be the highbloods she'd just been pretending to fight? Were they going to take her away and incessantly torture her until she had no olive blood left to bleed? She was high enough on the hemospectrum not to be culled upon sight, right? A midblood was what they called trolls like her. Feeling her heart and stomach rise up into her throat, she knew that she should have never gone out without Pounce de Leon. What would he think if she didn't return? Ears picking up an odd ringing noise in her head, she stiffened as the footsteps came closer and stiffened, preparing to use one of the many fighting techniques she had practiced.

There were a few faint whispers coming nearer as she flattened herself to the ground, balancing on the balls of her feet as she shot up and went hurling towards the voices, arms outstretched!

"Aaah!" The scream did not come from her. There was a whisk of black and red fabric, and all at once Meulin collapsed on the ground, brushing herself off and standing up in fear, only to find herself face to face with nothing more than a jadeblood. She breathed a sigh of relief. These were the trolls she had spotted from the tree the other day!

A very heavily clothed little boy peeked out from behind the curvy lady whom seemed to serve as his guardian.

"Purrdon," laughed the girl sheepishly, pointing her toes inward with embarrassment. She rocked back and forth, a bright shade of forest green rising into her cheeks. "I panicked."

The Dolorosa let out a weary chuckle, trying to seem unfazed by the child's actions. Tentatively, the boy she had briefly spoken to when she had been in the tree stared at her, golden eyes bright in the dimness that the overcast skies offered.

"That's quite alright." Offering Meulin a charming smile, Kankri squeaked and hid back behind the seemingly endless folds of the lady's dress. The adult looked down at the young boy, quizzical lines claiming most of her facial features.

Nodding, the child turned and maneuvered around the woman, waving hello the small boy as he only hid deeper in his guardian's robes.

"Hi there!" she laughed, folding her hands behind her back and leaning forwards, small skirt moving in the breeze as the leo sign that traced down her chest wrinkled. The mutantblooded male hugged onto Dolorosa's legs, burying his face in the sheer fabric.

"What's your name? I'm Meulin! Leijon," she added hastily, not wanting to leave out the surname she had taken up.

"Kankri," the jadeblooded troll explained patiently when the child didn't answer.

"It seems that now might not be the best of times for conversation, dear. I apologize." Meulin just nodded distantly, hoping to keep the look of disappointment off her face. She had been looking forwards to talking to them!

"Well… um… goodbye!" Noticing Kankri look up with red tinted cheeks, she reluctantly spun on her heel and skipped back to the hive, not bothering to think up an excuse for Pounce in answer of why she hadn't brought home any food. The boy and his mother were still on her mind as she sped off.


End file.
